GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT

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16GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAM

ANNUAL REPORT

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table of contents

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Global Health Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Our People, Our Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Building Leaders in Global Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Educating Physicians Around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Mentoring the Next Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Uganda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Dominican Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Awards and Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Publications and Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28“

”

Majid Sadigh, M.D., with schoolchildren in Zimbabwe

Cover photo credit: Tyler Sizemore, Hearst Connecticut Media Group From left, Dr. Brian Beesiga, Dr. Sohi Ashraf, medical student Mary-Kate LoPiccolo, and Dr. Majid Sadigh examine a patient during clinical rounds at Mulago Hospital in the capital city of Kampala, Uganda.

The practice of global health connects us to people of diverse perspectives and colors, and upon reflection, to ourselves and the lived experience. We learn to respect differences and recognize shared humanness.

In discovering the roots of empathy, we rediscover what calls us to the field of medicine. In its essence, this profession is a calling. At the service of the underserved, we follow that calling.

– Majid Sadigh, M.D., Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health

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This past year, the Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont Global Health Program has grown immensely, as the seeds sowed at its inception are now budding and thriving .

Human power has proliferated with the addition of several staff members including an associate director at UVM, two associate directors at WCHN, three departmental directors, two program coordinators, and three international site coordinators . Our network has broadened with the signing of Memorandums of Understanding that have initiated four new international partnerships in Uganda and the Dominican Republic . In the spirit of reciprocity, the capacity building initiative has been expanded to include Norwalk Hospital, the oncology departments at Danbury Hospital, and John Hopkins/LifeBridge Health .

In the same spirit, we continue to strengthen our relationships with our partners . We hosted 13 medical students/physicians for observership training at WCHN, in addition to 18 distinguished guests who made administrative visits . Meanwhile, 30 medical students/residents completed the global health elective in our host sites where they were supervised by 21 of our American faculty members . Global Health Week in April, during which 11 international guests were hosted by and gave lectures to WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine, was a great success . The event provided an important platform on which to learn from our partners while promoting collaboration and solidarity among members, some of whom interfaced for the first time .

In terms of output, our program has featured five peer-reviewed publications, a monthly newsletter, a program website including online tropical medicine modules, and the design of site-specific participant and safety guides . Meanwhile, we have emboldened our commitment to combatting the major global outbreaks of HIV, Ebola, and Zika virus through television health programs, radio shows, newspapers, grand rounds, and public talks .

We look forward to further expanding our program this upcoming year by initiating a partnership in Cuba and a unique capacity building model in India as a global health elective site . We will also be working toward instating an advanced curriculum as well as a full track/specialization that will incorporate global health curriculum in all years of medical training for students seeking a more robust avenue for and involvement in the field .

We are excited to witness the burgeoning global health movement and passion for health equity in our communities, and are grateful to be part of this ever-growing network .

Sincerely, Majid Sadigh, M .D . Trefz Family Endowed Chair of Global Health Director, Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont Global Health Program

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welcome

The Larner College of Medicine at The University of Vermont is pleased to be partners with the Western Connecticut Health Network in this thriving and vibrant global health program . We are excited for the opportunities it provides our students, residents, and faculty to gain an understanding of the global issues of health care delivery and access by experiencing firsthand the challenges faced by physicians and providers, patients and communities, as well as advocates and relief organizations .

Our work with Dr . Sadigh, faculty across both institutions, and our international colleagues has enriched our educational mission and expanded the perspective of all who have had the chance to participate . Over the last year, building relationships and expanding collaborations with our colleagues in Uganda, Russia, Zimbabwe, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic has strengthened our ability to enhance the education of our medical students and faculty and

contribute to preparing the global health leaders of the future . More and more of our first-year students arrive looking for opportunities in global health . They are not only making a difference in the communities they serve, but are also adding to the body of research and scholarly work that will have an impact beyond their international rotations . Many of our alumni have also become interested in the global health program, and it has been a pleasure to connect them with students who share their passion .

The naming of Dr . Sadigh as the inaugural Christian J . Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health at Western Connecticut Health Network was a landmark moment for everyone involved with the program . The commitment of the Trefz family and the dedication of Dr . Sadigh will serve as inspiration and motivation for the year ahead as we work together to build a first-class program committed to developing outstanding physicians prepared to be leaders in global health .

Building Global Health Leaders

It has been an extraordinary year for our global health program . Since its inception in 2012, our innovative partnership with the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont has inspired future professionals by providing unique opportunities to experience the essence of medicine . This two-way exchange offers an unparalleled opportunity for caregivers to deepen their empathy, broaden their perspective, and test their ability to observe, diagnose, and alleviate suffering in underserved, culturally diverse countries . In return, we benefit from visiting our international partners and absorbing their knowledge and expertise in managing global health epidemics such as Zika, Ebola and HIV .Most recently, we celebrated the naming of the program director as the inaugural recipient of the Christian J . Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health at Western Connecticut Health Network . As the only endowed chair in global health in the state of Connecticut, and one of only a few hospital-based endowed global health chairs in the nation, this is a remarkable accomplishment for our network and a true testament to Dr . Sadigh’s world-renowned reputation and invaluable contributions to the global community .

This endowed chair will help us build on the impressive foundation we have established while speaking to our unwavering commitment to medical education and global health . It recognizes the criticality of global health work while providing essential financial support to help expand the program, build capacity and fuel passion for teaching, research and patient care . For Norwalk Hospital board member Christian Trefz and his family, it is about making the world a better place by advancing our study and research, providing us with the luxury of longer-term thinking, and ensuring world-class clinical training for the next generation of physicians .

The practice of medicine may be changing rapidly, but the heart of medicine remains the same: compassion, connection, and caring . In today’s challenging fiscal environment, many of our most innovative and forward-thinking initiatives are almost entirely dependent on philanthropy . Thanks to the generosity of the Trefz family and other donors, our global health program will do just that – continue serving the world’s neediest populations while offering faculty, students, and residents a chance to reconnect to the skills, insights, and passion that define their commitment to help others .

Compassion at the Heart of Medicine

John Murphy, M.D.,President and CEO,Western Connecticut Health Network

Frederick C. Morin III, M.D.,Dean, The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

GLOBAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP

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our people,our mission

Health is at the core of most pressing global issues, including economic development, global security, effective governance and human rights promotion . In recent years, growing global interconnectivity has heightened public awareness of global health and welfare, including health problems that transcend national boundaries and disproportionately affect the poor .

Philanthropy has a long history of improving the quality of human life through the promotion of welfare and social change . Throughout every age, philanthropists have demonstrated the power of giving to create meaningful change . Modern philanthropy, however, is

more organized, professional and global than ever before .WCHN is fortunate to count among its benefactors

extraordinarily committed and generous philanthropists who understand the importance of global health training and its far-reaching impact on future clinical practice . The recent creation of the Christian J . Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health, the first of its kind in the state of Connecticut and one of only a few hospital-based endowed global health chairs in the nation, is a shining testament to the power of philanthropic partnership as well as the limitless potential of munificence meeting mission .

Grace Linhard, Chief Development Officer, WCHN

VOICES FROM OUR NETWORK

– Fred Mandell, M.D.’64, current president of the UVM Medical Alumni Association, has a long history of global health work. He donated 50 solar-powered flashlights to the African Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS) in Nakaseke, Uganda.

The inaugural Christian J . Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health, the first of its kind in the state of Connecticut and

one of only a few hospital-based endowed global health chairs in the nation, promises to advance the work of the Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont Global Health Program . At receptions in Vermont and Connecticut, Majid Sadigh, M .D ., director of the WCHN/UVM Global Health Program, was celebrated as the inaugural chair . The position, established with a generous gift from Christian J . and Eva W . Trefz of Westport, Connecticut, propels the global health program towards a new era of capacity building for health care leaders around the world .

Trefz Family Gift Creates Global Health Endowed Chair

Norwalk Hospital

Since 2015, when the global health program at Norwalk Hospital formally began, 12 Norwalk Hospital residents, fellows, and faculty have participated in our elective sites in Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Vietnam. Many have taken part in an innovative approach to international medical student electives that pairs first year Larner College of Medicine students with a senior medicine resident and a faculty member who work and live together as a team. The Norwalk Hospital site also extended the capacity building goal of our program by hosting five Global Scholars from Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam for training in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine. – Stephen M. Winter, M.D., Global Health Program Director, Norwalk Hospital

UVM Larner College of Medicine

The growth and coordination of our program has allowed us to do more with selecting and preparing our students for participation in their electives, as well as following up with participants after their international experiences to create a cycle for ongoing improvements. Regular student reflections, elective debriefing, and close relationships with our hosts have been valuable in embedding safety for patients, hosts, and participants into all that we do. Moving forward I see many opportunities that align with the mission and vision of the UVM Larner College of Medicine. Together we can most certainly provide a medical education second to none. – Mariah McNamara, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery and Global Health Program Associate Director, UVM

Sacred Heart University

The global health program has provided our students in the College of Health Professions with a new, more holistic view of the world around them. Our students now have the opportunity to discover the complexity of the human condition in areas of the globe that are vastly different from their own. By engaging in a cross cultural comparison and celebrating the differences of the people they meet while appreciating commonalities, a true sense of humility is fostered. Our partnership with Western Connecticut Health Network is creating more compassionate and caring health professionals who will spread their newly discovered empathy for the advancement of medical care and global diversity. – Patricia W. Walker, Ed.D., Dean, College of Health Professionals and Professor Michelle Cole, DNP, MSN, RN, CNP, Sacred Heart University

Global Health Program a Defining Element of Medical Education

Congratulations to the WCHN/UVM Global Health Program for reminding us of the essence of medicine: empathy and patient advocacy. Participants return from their global health electives with a deepened passion for becoming the most knowledgeable and compassionate physicians they can be. We are also delighted to host junior faculty from our international partners every year. As it continues to grow, the global health program is becoming one of the defining elements of medical education at WCHN. It embodies our commitment to serving patients and nurturing development of students while fostering true reciprocity. – Jonathan Fine, M.D., Director of Medical Education, WCHN

Funding the Future: The Impact of Philanthropy in Global Health Education

Shining a Light on Global Health

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“Global medicine is a fascinating voyage that gives us all the opportunity to comprehend the patient, the village, the family, the spread of illness, the response to sickness, the joy of wellness and the resiliency and determination of survival. The student is placed in the giant framework of a culture’s own medicine, a fabric woven from the glorious achievements of the shaman and wonderful cultural wisdoms and ideals and myths. We come as the foreigner. But we come with our own high professional quality, a kind heart, and high ideals bearing a small solar lamp which evaporates the darkness of the night.”

L to R: Fred Mandell, M.D., Stephen Winter, M.D., Majid Sadigh, M.D., John Murphy, M.D., Mr. and Mrs. Trefz, and Mr. Richard Jabara

JonathanFine, m.d.

StephenWinter, m.d.

MariahMcNamara, m.d.

PatriciaWalker, ed.d.

Michelle Cole, dnp, msn, rn, cnp

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building leadersin global health

H ow do you make sure the students you’re selecting for global health work

have the skills and experience they need to thrive? A paper co-authored by Mary Kate LoPiccolo ’18, tackles that question . In it, she identifies competencies deemed most important for global health work, and presents a scorecard based on a weighted system for interviewers to evaluate students’ answers . The paper, titled “Finding the Perfect Match: Creating a Structured Interview Tool to Choose Candidates for Global Health Electives,” was published as an “Online First” article in the journal Medical Science Educator . In the future, LoPiccolo hopes to develop a training program for interviewers and conduct a larger pilot study .

FINDING THE PERFECT MATCH

On a whiteboard in my office, I have written the words: witness, advocate, exchange, and improve . These are my pillars of global health . Witness, don’t rescue . Advocate, for a diversity of backgrounds . Exchange, sustainably and equitably . Improve, building appropriate technology and capacity . These core concepts may seem obvious, but they require training in global health ethics and the realities of on the ground work in low-resource settings . The WCHN/

UVM Larner College of Medicine Global Women’s Health Program does just that . It informs and enhances the perspectives of medical trainees, leaving them with an organized and nuanced appreciation for the practice of global women’s health . By witnessing, advocating for and exchanging ideas, our trainees improve health care for patients both at their home institution as well as abroad .

A Focus on Women’s Health Across the Globe

Global Health Education for Residents

Global Health Cardiology Partnerships Expand

Anne Dougherty, M.D., Director of Global Women’s Health Program, UVM

This year has been marked by truly remarkable collaborative efforts to grow the program . As a result,global health has trickled into many dimensions of education at the student, resident, and faculty level .In addition to an enthusiastic group of first year medical students who traveled to four countries,several residents from the Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Ob/Gyn Departments also participatedin our global health partnerships this year . As we

continue to grow, we hope to create a Global Health Track for residents . Few residents had global health curricula or opportunities to travel in a medical capacity during their medical school careers . A Global Health Track will encourage a level of awareness that extends beyond the local hospital environment, helping residents gain the skills to be compassionate healthcare providers in this globalizing world .Michelle Mertz, M.D., Director

of Global Health, Department of Family Medicine, UVM

The cardiovascular service line of Danbury Hospital and the Western Connecticut Health Network has been intimately involved with the global health program, and 2016 was a year of substantial growth . In the past year, five cardiologists and cardiology fellows from our partners in Vietnam, Uganda, and Cuba have spent between three and twelve months participating in clinical rounds, interventional cardiology, cardiac

surgery, nuclear medicine and echocardiography . We extend special thanks to Drs . Hal Wasserman, Mark Warshofsky, Murali Chiravuri, Lawrence Fisher, Marc Krichavsky, and all of the cardiology fellows led by Chief Fellow Dr . Oana Penciu for their integral role in the training program for visiting physicians . Overall, we have provided an educational milieu for the advancement of cardiovascular medicine and issues of global health .Robert Jarrett, M.D.,

Sr. Cardiologist, WCHN

NOTES FROM THE FIELDUnearthing New Truths

“I want to stress that I’ve grown immensely from this experience. The discomfort I’m feeling is due to truths that I’ve unearthed and faced for the first time. These truths span inequality, health disparity, new cultural experiences and subsequent new feelings towards my own culture. While I am sad in many ways I am also hopeful. I have more to contribute as a growing doctor and when I return to Vietnam I will be better prepared to learn and help in any way that I can.” – Florence DiBiase, UVM Larner College of Medicine student, Class of 2019

Improving Patient Outcomes

“The critical care unit is spacious and first-class, with top organization and management. Each patient has a detailed treatment plan, including nursing and preventive complications. This explains a decrease in in-hospital mortality rate as well as duration of hospital stay. When I return to work at Cho Ray Hospital’s interventional cardiology department, I will apply these clinical practices and expect that they will improve patient outcomes.” – Dr. Tran Quang Khanh, Global Health Scholar from Vietnam

Gentle, Generous & Hardworking

“On arrival to Parirenyatwa Hospital, I was impressed by the organization, efficiency, and care provided by the medical house staff and attending doctors. Infectious disease made up the largest burden of disease due to a high prevalence of HIV in the country. Despite its ongoing difficulties, Zimbabwe is a beautiful country with an abundance of natural resources. Its people remain gentle, generous, and hardworking. The healthcare standards impressed me immensely.” – Herman Sequeira, M.D., Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Fellow, Norwalk Hospital

Leaving My Comfort Zone

“I befriended wonderful doctors from all over the world, including from Vietnam, India, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, the United Kingdom, China, Canada, and Iran, who are very young but mature and talented physicians. We supported one another throughout the program, sharing the experience of medical practice in our respective countries, in addition to our cultures, traditions, and histories. They inspired me to read more about my own country and other places thousands of kilometers away from my home. They inspired me leave my comfort zone.” – Tatiana Afanaseva, M.D., Global Health Scholar from Russia

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NEW PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS

z imb a b w e v ie t n a mUSA USA

Medical students from the Class of 2020 selected to participate in the global health program.

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educating physiciansaround the world

Our Partners: Global Health Host CountriesThe global health elective provides medical students with a unique opportunity to engage in global health work that emphasizes sustainability and reciprocity. The elective at WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine encourages students to reconnect with the true roots of medicine and cultivate passion for empathy and clinical advancement. Every international site exposes students to a wide array of clinical cases while the supplementary socio-cultural curriculum allows further connection with the local culture. Students who experience the homestay model are able to delve even deeper into the cultural underpinnings of the region and garner a better understanding of the landscape of the country, people, and patients that they serve. Ultimately the global health elective is a chance to confront the pressing inequities of healthcare, release judgment, and redefine what it means to be a teacher and healer.

In the summer of 2016, 11 first year medical students participated in a six-week field elective. Students worked in Russia, Vietnam, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. In preparation for their work overseas, students attended weekly sessions with faculty. Students also participated in a Global Health Bootcamp the weekend prior to their departure where faculty members from Russia, Uganda and Vietnam gave lectures and met with students in small groups. Interest in the Global Health Program continues to grow with more than 20 students applying for a limited number of spots for next summer. – Molly Moore, M.D., Director of Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, UVM

As a new member of the WCHN/UVM Global Health team, I am so grateful for the opportunity to work in support of improving patient care and medical education through collaboration with our partner institutions around the world. The people involved in this program, both in the United States and abroad, are truly inspiring, and it is an honor to work with them. It is rewarding to play a role in helping our medical students become, as Dr. Sadigh says, “citizens of the world,” knowing that this will help them become the best physicians they can be.

The vision of the Western Connecticut Health Network Global Health Program is to achieve excellence and national recognition in global health education and research. The program strives to enhance capacity building efforts in partnership with international academic institutions in order to address health disparities in select underserved communities. As global health continues to evolve as a major priority in medical education curriculum, it is hoped that the program at WCHN will stand as a leader to uphold the values of sustainability, research, and reciprocity.

Leah Moody, Program Coordinator, WCHN

Audree Frey, Program Coordinator, UVM

Number of medical specialties represented by faculty participating in the August 2016 orientation for

students planning global health electives, including surgery, emergency medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and Ob/Gyn.

United States

Zimbabwe

DominicanRepublic

Russia

Uganda

Vietnam

Dominican Republic• Universidad

Iberoamericana• Hospital Universitario

Maternidad • Nuestra Señora de

la Altagracia• Instituto Dominicano

de Cardiologia• Hospital Vinicio Calventi

Russia• Kazan State Medical

University

Uganda• ACCESS/Nakaseke

Hospital• Makerere College of

Health Sciences

Uganda continued• St. Stephen’s Hospital• St. Francis Hospital/

Naggalama• Mbarara University of

Science and Technology

United States• UVM Larner College of

Medicine• Western Connecticut

Health Network• Sacred Heart University

Vietnam• Cho Ray Hospital

Zimbabwe• University of Zimbabwe

College of Health Sciences

Western Connecticut Health Network University of Vermont

BY THENUMBERS

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49Number of faculty, residents and medical students from WCHN and UVM who participated in the global health program in 2016.

17Number of first and fourth year UVM Larner College of Medicine students who completed global health rotations in 2016.

243Total number of weeks faculty, residents and students from the United States spent at partner sites for global health rotations in 2016.

244Total number of weeks global health leaders and fellows from around the world spent on visits and global health rotations in the United States.

13Number of physicians and health professionals

who visited the U.S. in 2016 for observership training – from Russia, Uganda, Vietnam, Cuba, and Dominican Republic.

Our Partner Sites

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mentoring the next generationIn 2016, program leaders began sending weekly notes of encouragement to students during their global health elective, offering specific guidance in response to themes captured from student reflection writing. This process ignited a discussion of philosophy that will continue through 2017.

“You Are Not A Drop In the Ocean. You Are the Entire Ocean In a Drop.” – Rumi

Aim for True, Long Term Engagements!

As the number and breadth of collaborations between institutions in resource-rich and resource-limited nations grows, so do the opportunities for creating global learning societies . To continue building momentum and maximizing the benefits gained from these efforts, we must understand what the draw is to global health, on both the institutional and individual level . We should aim for true, long-term engagements . Most if not all of these collaborations involve tradeoffs . Challenging ethical questions may arise . Without careful attention, life may proceed for both host and visitor without deep reflections on these ethical challenges .– Nelson Sewankambo, M.B.Ch.B., M.Sc., M.MED, FRCP, provost of Makerere University and president of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences

Turning Vulnerability Into a Great Inspirational Tool for Global Health

Each of us possess points of vulnerability that may be heightened when in an unfamiliar environment . However, the levels of resiliency in the face of such challenges varies from one person to another . Participant resiliencies can be difficult to predict . It is very important to be aware and appreciative of vulnerability when it surfaces . When clinicians arrive in a country for the first time, they must be patient and compassionate toward themselves; to take time and be willing to learn not only the medicine but also the culture and environment in which they are working . They should be silent but curious observers who may not be able to contribute much at the outset .– Robert Kalyesubula, M.D., president and founder of ACCESS Uganda

Be Like the Bird...

“Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet she sings knowing she hath wings .” – Victor Hugo

To become a leader in global health, one must possess the astute discipline to be the best in the field and not settle for anything less . The path will never get easier . The path will get harder . The foreign languages and harsh climates will not be temporary nuisances, but will become ways of life . Are you ready? In the moments when the body tires, you must be fueled by an internal force, which is the mission of global health . To be the voice of the voiceless and advocate of the underserved while upholding the art of humility within the medical field .– Majid Sadigh, M.D., and Leah Moody

Cut the Umbilicus!

My advice to you is to cut your umbilicus from your own country and culture . Do not assume that the way with which you are accustomed is the best way . Purge yourself of Western-centric thinking in which the West knows best . Our education system and media is centered around white Western philosophy, politics, history, literature and medicine, neglecting the ideas and ways of the entire rest of the world . Consciously or unconsciously, you are inclined to impose your own ways into a culture that is entirely different from yours, and to believe that this imposition is just and good . It is this very act that falsely justified colonialism around the world, the culprit of many problems you likely take issue with in the “developing world .”– Majid Sadigh, M.D., and Mitra Sadigh

“This Place Made from Our Love for that Emptiness!” – Rumi

A traveler and a tourist engage in a new environment in distinctly different ways . A tourist, “a person who is visiting a place for pleasure,” separates him or herself from the local people and experiences a new place through his or her usual lens . In contrast, a traveler discards that lens and immerses with the goal of

understanding the local people and their beliefs from their lens . The tourist is focused on the self, and the traveler on others . The tourist strives toward pleasure, and the traveler toward discovery . You do not have time for pleasure in the tourist’s sense . Your pleasure must come from learning the challenges that need to be understood in order to find solutions .– Majid Sadigh, M.D., and Mitra Sadigh

“You Are Not a Drop in the Ocean. You Are the Entire Ocean in a Drop.” – Rumi

For now, you are simply observing deficiencies, injustices, and inequalities while investigating the reasons behind them . Somewhere down the road, you may be a powerful person in the WHO or UNICEF or another organization with the ability to have a substantial impact on the lives of the underserved . You may even return to the country that hosted your global health elective several years from now to directly give back to the community that gave so much to you . Your experiences will make an impact even if you work at the service of the underserved in the United States . The underserved is the underserved, whether under the shadow of skyscrapers in New York City or in a slum in Kampala . Your experiences will make you a better doctor and, perhaps more importantly, a better person . That transformation will make an impact on everyone around you .– Majid Sadigh, M.D., and Mitra Sadigh

“When the Soul Lies Down in that Grass, the World is too Full to Talk About” – Rumi

It began with almost inaudible rumblings . A subtle vibration or an unidentified feeling that I did not even recognize as worthy of investigation . I was surprised to feel, despite the relief of returning home, an unfamiliarity with the place I had known so long . Nights spent in my room were bereft of geckos to keep me company . It was harder to fall asleep without the delicate nestling of the mosquito net . My body was home, but my spirit was elsewhere . I caught myself saying prayers during my nightly ritual of candle lighting for the infant of a taxi driver who had suffered from third-degree burns . I somehow seemed to be living in two spaces at once . As my body stepped out into the hallway each morning, slowly waking, my mind still dreamt of the village morning air, and the beautiful moth I saw with the broken wing that miraculously flew .– Mitra Sadigh


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As a global player in health professional training, Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), a historic and renowned institution, has embraced the global health concept as a way of improving health and achieving health equity for all people worldwide . This elective site provides a rich clinical and cultural experience with a wide range of pathologies seen in a diversity of patients from Uganda and neighboring countries . Astute and scholarly medical students, residents, faculty, and international global health participants representing over twenty countries comprise a unique learning

environment . A historic institution in respect to medicine, MakCHS is the place of many landmark medical discoveries including Burkitt’s Lymphoma, endomyocardial fibrosis, and the description of the natural history of HIV in Africa . During my visit to Western Connecticut Health Network, I became aware of the potential breadth of our partnership toward capacity building . In the future, we hope to provide adjunct appointments to faculty from our partner institutions, strengthen supervision for students on global health electives, and continue to build our partnerships .

St . Francis Naggalama Hospital, a 100-bed rural hospital in Uganda, is one of the newest members of Western Connecticut Health Network/Larner College of Medicine Global Health Program . Serving a population of 300,000, Naggalama has been a teaching hospital to medical students from all over the world . The faculty includes Ugandan physicians with specialties in Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and General Surgery . Naggalama also serves a large outpatient clinic population, and is known for its Palliative Care outreach program, run by the local palliative care team and overseen by Drs . Randi Diamond and Howard Eison from WCHN .

In a country with 86 percent of the population living in rural areas and 70 percent of the doctors practicing in the cities, people living in the rural areas are particularly underserved . Naggalama Hospital’s Palliative Outreach Program – which includes a team of specially trained nurses and spiritual leaders, with intermittent physician input – focuses on the rural populations for whom poverty and lack of transportation makes access to medical care of any type difficult . The team sees patients in a Palliative Care outpatient clinic session, and they travel to surrounding villages a few times each week to provide in-home care .

In 2016, we hosted the first group of medical students from the Larner College of Medicine . They participated in outpatient care, ward rounds, theatre, maternity, laboratory, and in community education by giving a talk about infection prevention . Through home visits, they learned more about home healthcare in a resource limited setting . Students also had the opportunity to present to the staff and participate in the discussions that followed to contribute to the improvement of medical education

as well as quality of care for patients . We hope that the exposure and experiences students had while rotating in Uganda gave them a better understanding of healthcare service delivery in resource limited settings . We plan to have projects they can implement to further enrich their experiences during their stay at St . Stephen’s Hospital . We look forward to a growing partnership as we work in solidarity with the goals of the global health program .

uganda

Delegates from Uganda visiting the UVM Larner

College of Medicine

Key Developments at a Glance

• Establishment of a new homestay site

• Establishment of clinical site in Naggalama: St. Francis Hospital

• Establishment of partnership with Department of Psychiatry at MakCHS

• Implementation and standardization of the supplementary clinical curriculum

• Training of two faculty members and two interns from MakCHS

• Video documentation of the experiences of UVM medical students in international sites

“I am immensely grateful for all that I have gleaned over these past six weeks .The homestay at the Lubogas and our time at St . Stephen’s amounted to a richly rewarding experience, and I can only hope to pay it forward somehow in the future .” – Zachary Wunrow (above, left), UVM medical student, Class of 2019

FOSTERING GLOBAL HEALTH LEADERS

Isaac Okullo, B.D.S., Ph.D., Deputy Principal

Makerere College of Health Sciences

St. Francis Hospital, Naggalama

St. Stephen’s Hospital, Mpererwe, Kampala

A Focus on Building Capacity and Partnerships

A Focus on Rural Populations

Growing Partnership between Vermont and Kampala

Catherine Kwagala, Site Director

The past year has witnessed continued improvement and expansion for the program in Uganda . We welcomed more than 30 medical students, residents, and faculty to our campus in Kampala and gave them exposure to a wide range of clinical cases . The socio-cultural supplementary curriculum is well-established, with visiting students residing at selected senior faculty homes to share in traditional Ugandan customs and language . I took the opportunity to accompany Professor Isaac Okullo, Professor Magid Kagimu, and Ms . Nansasi to the

Larner College of Medicine, Western Connecticut Health Network, and Sacred Heart University (SHU) . During our visit, we finalized plans to host the first psychiatry residents from the WCHN/Larner College of Medicine programme to Uganda in 2017 . Also in 2017, we look forward to welcoming a nursing and physician’s assistant delegation from SHU . We are grateful to our colleagues in the United States and those at MakCHS who supervise the students to expose them to medicine in low-resource settings .

Susan Nassaka Byekwaso, Coordinator, International Programs

Learning Medicine in Low-Resource Settings

Howard Eison, M.D., Senior Physician, Norwalk Hospital

Makerere College

of Health Sciences


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Becoming “Truly Mature Doctors”

Global Health at Kazan State Medical University: Future Direction

“I have been spending my time at the hospital with Dr . Abid and Dr . Askari . They are witty and competent residents . We see patients together . They write the history in English and let me do part of the physical exam or repeat what they did . They do the best they can to accommodate me . They often invite me to get lunch with them, sometimes at Tatar and Yamani places . The hospital is a great place with a lot of potential . They have the only Rheumatology

Department in Kazan . I have not felt any pressure when shadowing in the United States . The environment at the hospital is very friendly . Usually patients are talking and hanging out with each other . I have yet to see a patient by themselves . I think this keeps the spirit up for a lot of patients and harmonizes the atmosphere .”

– Khaled Al-Tawil, UVM Larner College of Medicine student, Class of 2019

The father of medicine, Hippocrates, once said, “Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity .” The Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont Global Health Program gives a wonderful opportunity to young motivated physicians from various countries worldwide to not only obtain unique clinical experience but also to express their humanism and other qualities . Year by year we see every one of our Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) students returning from the global health elective in Uganda as a different person . Through this experience, they become truly mature doctors who acknowledge the full

intent of the medical profession, which is to save people despite borders, politics, and one’s own interests .

The Global Health Program allows young doctors to become knowledgeable professionals by obtaining such indispensable qualities as integrity, dedication, and love for people and medicine . We highly value the WCHN/UVM Global Health Program and wish our longstanding partners continual advancement and substantial growth . We hope for further cooperation, successful projects, and considerable achievements in the challenging sphere of global health . We believe this program has great potential to make a difference for people’s health around the world .

Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) is among the most respected medical education institutions in the Russia . A 20-year collaboration with Yale University and later with Western Connecticut Health Network/ University of Vermont has focused on capacity building at KSMU, allowing many KSMU members trained in the United States to advance into leadership positions within their disciplines .

KSMU is also a leader in global health education . In 2009, it became the first Russian university to launch a sponsored six-week elective program for students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty members to train at Makerere University, Mulago Hospital in Uganda .

This elective was established as part of a tripartite agreement between Yale University, Makerere University, and KSMU . Similarly, KSMU is an active global health rotation site for students and residents from WCHN and University of Vermont .

Moving forward, KSMU’s global health program can take many steps towards continuing its unique leadership role, including raising greater awareness of global health education, collaborating with partner sites on research projects, establishing new rotation sites, revamping the curriculum, and enhancing long-term sustainability of all global health activities and programs .

Khaled Al-Tawil ’19, second from left, with residents and KSMU Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Diana Abdulganieva


• Establishment of Medical Ward Teaching Model

• Establishment of tripartite collaborations between WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine, UNIBE, and Cho Ray Hospital

• Establishment of Tropical Medicine Course for international students

• The training of one J1 research scholar

Alexey Sozinov, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Rector, Kazan State Medical University

Bulat Ziganshin, M.D.U.S. Site Director for Russia

Director of Global Health at WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine with select alumni of the Global Health Program


russia Kazan State

Medical University

“This year we continued to strengthen the partnership between Western Connecticut Health Network and Kazan State Medical University, as well as enhance capacity-building efforts, by making the flagship course in basic tropical medicine available to all KSMU medical students.” – Swapnil Parve, M.D., Postdoctoral Research Scholar, WCHN


Medical Education in a “Massive Urban Hospital”The global health clinical experience in Southeast Asia is largely centered in Ho Chi Minh City at Cho Ray Hospital, a massive urban hospital serving the underprivileged in Vietnam with a bed capacity exceeding 3,000 . Because of the high incidence of traffic, mainly motorcycle, accidents in the city, a significant proportion of the inpatient population is orthopaedic . The hospital also boasts very busy Emergency Medicine and Critical Care services .

The site offers a wide range of clinical experience opportunities with many interesting patient cases . The Infectious Diseases Department is prolific, with clinical experiences that can only be found in the tropics such as dengue fever, typhoid, and snake bites . The Cardiology Department is another of the site’s strong points, with a wide variety of cardiac diseases ranging from acute rheumatic fever to congenital

anomalies never diagnosed due to the limitations of preventive health care . In addition to amazing clinical opportunities, the Cho Ray faculty are friendly and helpful .

Cho Ray Hospital is a phenomenal elective site . The interested student or resident should expect to encounter a multitude of exceptional learning cases . Participants are expected to significantly enhance their clinical skills while still having access to diagnostic labs and advanced technology . Spending time in Vietnam will not only allow immersion in Vietnamese culture, but will also open the mind to the major tenets of global health . Expect to nurture compassion for others and develop valuable insights into patient problems in the setting of significant health inequalities .

Leadership of Medical Education at Cho Ray with medical students, residents, faculty from WCHN/UVM


• Establishment of homestay site underway

• Implementation and standardization of supplementary socio-cultural curriculum

• Training of five faculty members from Cho Ray Hospital


Vietnam site welcomes new staff

In 2016, the program extended a warm welcome to the three newest members of the International Affairs Office at Cho Ray Hospital. Ms. Tran Thi Thu Quyen (left) is the Global Health Program Coordinator; Ms. Le Thi Thu Quyen (center) is the Global Health Program Secretary; and Ms. Tien Pham Thi Thuy (right) is new staff. The program thanks the entire International Affairs Office for strengthening the partnership between WCHN and Cho Ray Hospital.

“I had a conversation with Dr . Tuh this week about what it is like to be a doctor at Cho Ray Hospital . She works six days a week, twelve hours a day, and sees far more patients daily than any competent physician could hope to adequately care for . She doesn’t get paid nearly as much as she would if she worked at a private hospital, yet does all of this without complaint . She talked about the lack of resources and the guilt she feels when some patients get forgotten about because there is just too much to do . Her overwhelming compassion in spite of her demanding job is truly inspiring .”

– Julia Cowenhoven, UVM Larner College of Medicine student, Class of 2019


From L to R: Huynh Kim Phuong, M.D., Ph.D., Florence DiBiase ‘19, Julia Cowenhoven ‘19 & Jayne Manigrasso ‘19

Building a Bilateral PartnershipCho Ray Hospital (CRH) is a 1,900-bed public teaching hospital that receives tertiary cases from 23 provincial hospitals in southern Vietnam . The Vietnam elective site provides a safe and highly organized clinical learning environment in which participants can learn from passionate faculty in the backdrop of the nation’s rich depth of history .

Dr . Sadigh visited CRH in 2013 to lay the foundation for the bilateral partnership of training medical students . In 2016, we received seven medical students, five residents, and two faculty members from the UVM Larner College of Medicine who completed six-week rotations in cardiology and infectious disease at CRH, during which they were exposed to a wide breadth of clinical cases and had the opportunity to advance their compassion and communication skills with an underserved patient population . In 2016, WCHN trained three cardiologists at Danbury

Hospital and two intensive care doctors in Norwalk Hospital . I had the opportunity to travel to WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine for three weeks during which I visited Danbury Hospital, Norwalk Hospital, and the UVM Larner College of Medicine to learn more about the global health program’s international network and meet international guests from other sites . The knowledge I gained has been pivotal for developing the global health partnership with CRH .

I truly appreciate the contribution of the global health program in advancement of medical education and patient care at Cho Ray Hospital . We would like to express our gratitude to many members of the WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine for supporting the training of junior faculty from Cho Ray Hospital in the United States . We look forward to expanding our international collaboration in 2017 .

Huynh Kim Phuong, M.D., Ph.D., Head of International Affairs, Cho Ray Hospital

Stephen Scholand, M.D., U.S. Site Director for Vietnam

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vietnamCho Ray Hospital



“The medical education system at Pari stresses the importance of a thorough physical exam and history as a primary diagnostic tool, as opposed to relying on expensive tests, imaging, and procedures, through which it is still able to maintain a level of functionality in patient care . I look forward incorporating some of the techniques I have learned into my own medical career .”

– Omkar Betageri, UVM Larner College of Medicine student, Class of 2019

Omkar Betageri ’19, second from left,

in Zimbabwe

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zimbabweUniversity

of Zimbabwe College of

Health Sciences

Extended Partnerships in Zimbabwe Lead to Additional CollaborationThis year, we hosted many members of our partner institutions including Dr . Aparna Oltikar, Chairperson of Medicine at Danbury Hospital; Dr . Mariah McNamara, Emergency Medicine Specialist from UVM; Dr . Katherine Marie Mariani from the Family Medicine Department at UVM; and Dr . Herman Sequeira, Pulmonary and Critical Care fellow from Norwalk Hospital . We also hosted three first-year medical students: Omkar Betageri, Morgan Hadley, and Amber Meservey, supported by Dr . Peter Saikali, a resident from Norwalk Hospital, and extended our partnership to Harare Central Hospital to host Michelle Dowait and David

Reisman, two family medicine residents from UVM . Dr . McNamara’s and Dr . Mariani’s visits helped pave the road toward future establishment of residency programs in family medicine and emergency medicine, as University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) does not currently have residencies in either department .

Deputy Dean Professor Rati Ndhlovu spent four weeks of her sabbatical at UVM Larner College of Medicine and Western Connecticut Health Network where she became more familiar with innovative educational methods while sharing her experience with the Zimbabwean medical education system . We hope the multifaceted nature of our partnership will become known once the documentary about the experiences of UVM medical students is complete . We are grateful to the UVM members who visited us despite the economic challenges such as cash shortages and unexpected political strikes . As always, we remain resolute in facing these challenges and maintaining peace and hope as the futures unfolds on us . The support from global health collaborations spurs us on .

University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences Dean Midion Chidzonga, M.Med.Sci., (right) and Deputy Dean Chiratidzo Ndhlovu, M.Med.Sci.

We hope the multifaceted nature of our partnership will become known once the documentary about the experiences of UVM medical students is complete.

I met Everlasting Hope while rounding on the general medical wards of Parirenyatwa Hospital during the two weeks I spent in Harare, Zimbabwe in August 2016 as part of the Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont Global Health Program . I remember being immediately captivated by the biblical proportions of the name; Zimbabweans have the unusual custom of naming their children after important events or emotions they experienced at the time of the child’s birth . I was eager to hear the story behind her name, but regrettably, I never got the chance . Everlasting Hope, a 34 year-old woman, had been admitted the day before after suffering a massive stroke that left her unable to speak, unable to swallow, and unable to move her entire right side . Her communication was limited to a series of desperate blinks and hand gestures which frustrated both of us .

Everlasting Hope’s hospital care consisted of one liter of intravenous fluid per day, and oral blood pressure medications and aspirin, neither of which she could swallow . Not surprisingly, her condition progressively deteriorated and she died four days after being admitted . I remember explaining to the American medical students in the program with me that her care would have been very different had she been admitted to a modern, multidisciplinary stroke unit . She would have received nutrition through a feeding tube, medicines to prevent blood clots, telemetry monitoring to assess for life threatening cardiac arrhythmias, and daily speech and physical therapy . More importantly, I explained, in a less resource-constrained medical environment, Everlasting Hope may never have had the stroke because her high blood pressure and high

cholesterol would, hopefully, have been diagnosed and treated early .

I returned to Connecticut a few days later, preoccupied . As chair of the Department of Medicine at Danbury and New Milford Hospitals, much of my job involves finding ways to continuously improve the prevailing systems and processes in place to care for patients . Since my return from Zimbabwe, I find myself no longer thinking just about the patients in the hospitals and communities that my organization serves in northwestern Connecticut . I think about Everlasting Hope and the countless other patients like her at Parirenyatwa Hospital . How, I constantly wonder, do we build better systems and processes that could be implemented there, so that patients like Everlasting Hope have a chance for a better outcome?

And this, perhaps, is the greatest value of global health: it expands the boundaries of what we, as physicians, consider to be “our” medical community . After witnessing, firsthand, the devastating impact that globalization can have on vulnerable populations in a cost-constrained medical environment, the mission of global health has become personal for me . It is no longer about bringing healthcare equity to nameless, faceless people on a distant continent across the sea . It is about dear colleagues and patients with whimsical names and warm, toothy smiles, whose stories I know and suffering I have, however briefly, shared . For me, it will also always be about Everlasting Hope . Wherever my future adventures in global health take me, I know that her story and her name, with its latent promise that better times must lie ahead, will guide me .

Meeting a Patient Named Everlasting Hope

Aparna Oltikar, M.D., Department of Medicine Chair, Danbury Hospital


• Completion of Deputy Dean Chiratidzo Ndhlovu’s one month sabbatical at WCHN and UVM Larner College of Medicine

• Implementation and standardization of supplementary clinical curriculum


• Initiation of the process of developing residency programs in family medicine and emergency medicine


A Clear and Broad Minded VisionAt UNIBE School of Medicine, we are highly committed to the development of our Global Health Program . For several years, we have been working with nearby communities, engaging our students in volunteer work, practicing in primary care units, developing research projects, and promoting cooperative agreements with local and international institutions . We realized it was time to form a robust structure for global health initiatives . Our partnership with the WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine global health team has been encouraging and inspiring for us . It has helped us realize the importance of global health, and has given us perspective on how to structure our program .

Attending the Global Health Week in April was a true blessing . We had the opportunity to meet global health leaders from different places and backgrounds, all united in one common goal: to deliver healthcare to those who need it the most .

In September, UNIBE School of Medicine appointed Dr . Jomar Florenzan as the first Global Health Coordinator . Our Medical School Dean, Dr . Marcos Ñuñez, has a clear and broadminded vision about the global health opportunities that lie ahead . We are happy to share this journey with our friends at WCHN and the UVM Larner College of Medicine .

– Loraine Amell, Ph.D., Dean of International Relations at UNIBE

L to R: Jomar Florenzan, M.D., Marco Ñuñez, M.D., and Loraine Amell, Ph.D.

Robert Samuelson, M.D., Chair of Department of Ob/Gyn, Danbury Hospital

Sharing Global Health Challenges

Report from the field

Establishing a Bilateral Ob/Gyn Partnership

Through our exchange with WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine, we have learned more about what global health means and how it can be incorporated into a career in medicine . We have been inspired to work toward making global health an integral component of Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) . Our own Global Health Department at UNIBE Faculty of Health Sciences was established in August . We are thrilled about our new partnership with the outstanding WCHN/UVM Global Health Program . We are currently preparing for upcoming electives for international medical students which includes, in addition to clinical training, medical Spanish, tropical

medicine, and cultural awareness . Furthermore, we are planning to provide a Global Health Track for our selected students in the near future . We were also very impressed by the Global Health Blog, and believe it provides an important platform for communication between global health partners and serves as a shared forum through which global health topics can be brainstormed, discussed, and broadened . Moreover, it is an avenue through which we can share our global health challenges and experiences, and the lessons learned through them .

– Marco Ñuñez, M.D., Dean of Health Sciences at UNIBE

In 2016, the WCHN obstetrics and gynecology team made two site visits to Santo Domingo to lay the framework for a partnership with Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) as well as Hospital Universitario Maternidad Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia (HMNSA) in Dominican Republic . The program at WCHN hopes to establish a bilateral partnership with these institutions to create opportunities for capacity building in Ob/Gyn training . In December, Drs . Joselyn Sanchez, Dolores Feliz, Henry Mesa, and Ana Sanchez, visited WCHN to make preparations for the training programs

and to familiarize themselves with the Ob/Gyn Department . The exchange of medical education will provide Ob/Gyn residents and medical students from both institutions an opportunity to experience the specialty from different angles . Trainees from the Dominican Republic will participate in collaborative simulation research projects and gain exposure to infertility and laparoscopic training . Thank you to medical residents Corrie Miller, Bethany Brady, and Abhilasha Tangada for their active participation in establishing this global health partnership .


• Establishment of Global Health Pathway at UNIBE

• Establishment of Homestay Model

• Establishment of Tropical Medicine ward and research lab at Hospital Escuela Jorge Abraham Hazoury

• Establishment of tripartite collaboration between WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine and Kazan State Medical University

• Training of one UNIBE graduate

We had the opportunity to meet global health leaders from different places and backgrounds, all united in one common goal: to deliver healthcare to those who need it the most.

Visit of a delegation from the Dominican Republic to WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine. From left to right: Dr. Ana Sanchez, Dr. Joselyn Sanchez, Leah Moody, Dr. Henry, Dr. Swapnil Parve, and Dr. Dolores Feliz

Las Malvinas, Santo Domingo. Inter-Institutional Meeting, UNIBE

Dr. Florenzan, program coordinator for the Dominican Republic, with Dr. Ammar Ibrahim, hospital director for “Hospital Escuela Jorge Abarham Hazoury,” and Dr. Robert Paulino, director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine and Global Health

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dominican republic Universidad

Iberoamericana


O n April 4 and 5, 2016, the UVM Larner College of Medicine hosted nine distinguished international guests from Russia, Dominican Republic, Vietnam and Uganda for a “Celebration of Global Health Day” featuring a broad range

of activities . Designed to showcase the global health education, scholarship, and service partnerships accomplished through the Global Health Program at Western Connecticut Health Network and UVM, the celebration highlights included a Dean’s Distinguished Lecture on Global Health delivered by Alexey Sozinov, M .D ., Ph .D ., D .Sc ., of Kazan, Russia, a special Family Medicine Grand Rounds and Community Medical School presentation by Uganda’s Robert Kalyesubula, M .D ., and a photography exhibit and academic poster session showcasing the work of medical students, nursing students and residents .

CELEBRATION OF GLOBAL HEALTH

Celebrating Global Health Achievements, Partnerships

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awards andrecognition

Dominican Republic: Dr. Marcos Ñuñez, Dean of Health Sciences at UNIBE; and Loraine Amell, Dean of International Relations at UNIBE and Dr. Jomar Florenzan, Site Director for Dominican Republic Russia: Dr. Alexey Sozinov, Rector of Kazan State Medical University, Marat Mukhamedyarov, Head of Office of International Affairs, and Arina Ziganshina, Coordinator of Global Health Uganda: Dr. Robert Kalyesubula, Founder of ACCESS, and Estherloy Katali, Coordinator of Global Health Program at ACCESSVietnam: Dr. Huynh Phuong, Head of International Affairs at Cho Ray Hospital

The WCHN/UVM Larner College of Medicine Global Health Program has been recognized by:• Yale School of Medicine at Medical Grand Rounds

• Connecticut Healthcare Association: Healthcare Heroes

• Tribuna Newspaper: American Dream Leadership Award

• North American Board of Kazan State Medical University

• Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH): Highlighted in the newsletter

• Kazan State Medical University for 20 years of partnership

Guests of Honor at UVM’s Celebration of Global Health

New awardsThe Celebration of Global Health included the presentation of two inaugural awards. Stefan Wheat ‘18 (second from right) received the Beth Kirkpatrick Citizen of the World Award, and Assistant Dean for Communications and Planning Carole Whitaker (at left) received the Patricia O’Brien Global Health Leadership and Humanitarian Award. The awards recognize two visionary global health leaders, UVM Professor of Infectious Disease Medicine Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D. (top right), and UVM Professor of Hematology/Oncology Patricia O’Brien, M.D. (bottom right).

Robert Kalyesubula, M.D., delivers a Community Medical School lecture at UVM Larner College of Medicine titled “Global Health: A View from Uganda.”


Published Manuscripts

Wheat S, Mendez R, Musselman R, et al . Beyond the Homestay Model: Peer Mentorship and Early Exposure in Global Health Education . Medical Science Educator . 2016:1-7 .

LoPiccolo MK, Sadigh M . Finding the Perfect Match: Creating a Structured Interview Tool to Choose Candidates for Global Health Electives . Medical Science Educator . 2016;1-8 . doi:10 .1007/s40670-016-0301-4 .

Parve S, Ershadi A, Karimov A, et al . Access, attitudes and training in information technologies and evidence-based medicine among medical students at University of

Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences . African Health Sciences . 2016;860-65 .

Ziganshin B, Sadigh M, Iausheva L, et al . Developing Medical Education Capacity in Russia: Twenty Years of Experience . BMC Medical Education (Accepted)

Sadigh M, Nawagi F, Sadigh M . The Economic and Social Impact of Informal Caregivers at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda . Annals of Global Health (Accepted)

Submitted Manuscripts

Sadigh M, Parve S, Moody L, Sadigh M, et al . Creating a Bidirectional Culture of Safety in Global Health Electives Via Comprehensive Safety Protocols . Medical Science Educator .

Published Booklets and Course Modules

Basic course in Tropical Medicine (101) - Open online (MOOC)

Intermediate course in Tropical Medicine (202) - Educational Manual

Advanced course in Tropical Medicine (606) - Educational Manual

Basic course in Global Health (101) - Educational Manual

Cases and Reflections from Mulago - Educational Manual

Site-Specific Participant Guides for Global Health Electives - Educational Manual

Site-Specific Safety Guides for Global Health Electives - Educational Manual

2016 Global Health Reflections and Photos Booklet

Global Health Grand Rounds, Talks, and Interviews

February 2, 2016; Danbury Hospital; Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health, WCHN . “Zika Virus”

March 15, 2016; Television Program; Health Talk: Cablevision: Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health, WCHN . “Zika Virus”

April 4, 2016; UVM Larner College of Medicine; Family Medicine Grand Rounds and Community Medical School lecture; Robert Kalyesubula, M .D ., president and founder of ACCESS-Uganda . “Global Health: A View from Uganda .”

April 5, 2016; UVM Larner College of Medicine; Alexey Sozinov, M .D ., Ph .D ., D .Sc .; Dean’s Distinguished Lecture on Global Health

April 8, 2016; Sacred Heart University: Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health, WCHN . “Zika Virus: An Update”

July 2, 2016; Cablevision; Health Talk; Majid Sadigh, Director of the Global Health Program at WCHN and Dr . Stephen Winter, Director of the Global Health Program at Norwalk Hospital; “The Concept of Global Health”

August 24, 2016; Danbury Hospital: Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health, WCHN . “Zika Virus: An Update.”

August 29, 2016; Fairfield Woods Branch Library; Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health, WCHN . “Zika Virus: An Update”

November 6-9, 2016: Baltimore, International Congress on Women’s Health Issues Annual Meeting . Building capacity for a multimodal HIV, breast and cervical cancer screening clinic in rural Tanzania . - M . Ma, S . Bedell, E . Mallange, E . Lwega, A . Dougherty

November 9, 2016; Danbury Hospital; Asghar Rastegar, Director of Global Health, Yale University Department of Medicine . “Global Health: A professional journey, a personal journey.”

September 8, 2016; Norwalk Hospital; Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health, WCHN . “Zika Virus: An Update”

Global Health Evenings

January 13, 2016 . Vietnam: A Medical Journey, a Personal Journey . Robyn Sctaena and Sandra Wainwright .

February 10, 2016 . Vision Services in Resource Scarce Environments . Ella Gudwin, President of VisionSpring .

March 9, 2016 . Reflections from Uganda . Grace Herrick .

May 11, 2016 . Healthcare and Medical Education in Zimbabwe . Deputy Dean Chiratidzo Ndhlovu, UZCHS .

June 14, 2016 . Healthcare in Uganda . Onesmus Twinoweitu, Head of Haem/Onc at Mulago National Referral Hospital

September 21, 2016 . Communities, Care Centers, and Local Health Systems: An inside look . Brian Hoyer, Director of Recovery Programs at AmeriCares .

October 12, 2016 . Health Worker Safety . Anne Petersen, Senior Vice President for Programs at AmeriCares .

December 7, 2016 . Global Mental Health and Resilient Capacity Building . John Woodall .

Building local and global infrastructure for long-term health benefits

We believe the global health program is foundational to many aspects of contemporary healthcare. After all, we are a global society, and our communities served are increasingly diverse. Illnesses are crossing oceans, and along with them, the desire to prevent and address these illnesses abroad and locally is apparent across governments.

With this belief, the need for a strong communications program is integral. Our students and practitioners must know we exist and that there are myriad opportunities to learn and serve. Our communities are reassured about the many benefits of the program both locally – by helping provide skilled, compassionate, and culturally adept care, and globally - by serving others in need. Media in particular shined a bright light on the program in a way that brought it to life in the most eloquent way for our communities. As a result, our Global Health Program is more widely known, valued, and financially stable. We are forever grateful for this support.

Andrea Rynn, Director of Government and Public Relations, WCHN

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publications andpresentations

The Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont Global Health Program had a robust presence at the 2016 Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference. The event, which drew thousands of participants, featured abstract and poster presentations from students and faculty on a range of topics, including peer mentorship, pre-departure training, and more.

Consortium of Universities for Global Health San Francisco, Calif., April 2016

• Peer Mentorship and Early Exposure: A Novel Approach to the Global Health Elective - Stefan Wheat, Richard Mendez, Ruth Musselman, et al.

• An Innovative Approach to Rural Antenatal Care: A Report of a Mobile Clinic Network in Northern Tanzania - M. Ruhotina, A. Dougherty, J. Flanagan, E. Lwegalulila et al.

• A Survey of Pre-Departure Training Provided to U.S. Medical Students Participating in Global Health Electives - Taylor Goller, Alex Miller, Molly Moore, Anne Dougherty.

• Coordinating Community Healthcare Needs to Local Services in Paraiso, Dominican Republic through Strategic Assessments Strategies - Michelle Cole, Christina Gunther, et al.

• Exploring the Psychological Effects of the Global Health Rotation on First Year Medical Students through Analysis of Student Reflection - Emma Vick et al.

• Creation, Implementation and Impact of an Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum in Kazan, Russia. Pierre Galea, Bryce Bludevich et al.

Nominations for CUGH AwardsSamuel Luboga, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sci.: CUGH Distinguished Leadership Award

Robert Kalyesubula, M.D.: CUGH Hall/Sewankambo Mid-Career Leadership Award

Mitra Sadigh: CUGH/Wasserheit Young Leader Award


Western Connecticut Health Network

Christina Gunther Menoo JarrettRobert Jarrett, M .D .Lauri Lennon, M .B .A .Leah Moody, M .P .H . Swapnil Parve, M .D . Mary Shah, MLS, AHIPMajid Sadigh, M .D .Patricia Wetherill, M .D .Stephen Winter, M .D .John Woodall, M .D .

The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont

Tania Bertsch, M .D .Anne Dougherty, M .D .Mariah McNamara, M .D .Michelle Mertz, M .D .Molly Moore, M .D .Majid Sadigh, M .D .Carole L . WhitakerChrista Zehle, M .D .

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directory

Dominican Republic13 Jomar Florenzan, M .D . Dominican Republic Site Director,

Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)

Russia14 Marat Mukhamedyarov, M .D ., Ph .D . Russia Site Director, Kazan State

Medical University

15 Bulat Ziganshin, M .D . U .S . Site Director for Russia

16 Dilyara Nurkhametova Russia Site Coordinator

Uganda17 Robert Kalyesubula, M .D . Founder, Access Uganda

18 Estherloy Katali Site Coordinator, ACCESS Uganda

1 Majid Sadigh, M .D . Global Health Program Director

Western Connecticut Health Network University of Vermont, USA

2 Stephen Winter, M .D . Global Health Program Director

Norwalk Hospital, USA

3 Mariah McNamara, M .D ., M .P .H . Global Health Program Associate Director

University of Vermont, USA

4 Marcos Ñuñez, M .D . Dean, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)

Dominican Republic

5 Loraine Amell, Ph .D . Dean, International Relations, UNIBE

Dominican Republic

6 Alexey Sozinov, M .D ., Ph .D ., D .Sc . Rector, Kazan State Medical University

Russia

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21 3

8

11 15

18

4

7 10

14

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9

13

16

21 22 23 24

5

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7 Samuel Luboga, M .D ., Ph .D ., D .Sci . Director, Uganda Partnership

Makerere College of Health Sciences Uganda

8 Huynh Kim Phuong, M .D ., Ph .D . Head of International Affairs Cho Ray Hospital, Vietnam

9 Robert Kalyesubula, M .D . Founder, Access Uganda

10 Midion Mapfumo Chidzonga, M .Med .Sci . Dean, University of Zimbabwe College of

Health Sciences, Zimbabwe

11 Chiratidzo Ellen Ndhlovu, M .Med .Sci . Deputy Dean, University of Zimbabwe

College of Health Sciences, Zimbabwe

12 Christina Gunther, M .A . Director of Global Health Programs

Sacred Heart University

19 Professor Celestino Obua, Site Director and Vice Chancellor, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

20 Isaac Okullo, B .D .S ., Ph .D . Site Director and Deputy Principal,


21 Susan Byekwaso Coordinator, International Programs


Vietnam22 Nguyen Ngoc Sang, M .D . Site Director at Cho Ray Hospital

23 Stephen Scholand, M .D . U .S . Site Director for Vietnam

Zimbabwe24 Chiratidzo Ellen Ndhlovu, M .Med .Sci . Deputy Dean, University of Zimbabwe College

of Health Sciences, Zimbabwe Site Director

Program Directors

Site Directors and Coordinators

GLOBAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

28 T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F V E R M O N T A N D T H E W E S T E R N C O N N E C T I C U T H E A L T H N E T W O R K

Global Health Office at Western Connecticut Health Network

Majid Sadigh, M.D.Program Director at Western Connecticut Health Network/University of VermontChristian J . Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health at WCHN6-South, Danbury Hospital24 Hospital AveDanbury, CT 06810(203) 739-7057Majid .Sadigh@wchn .org Stephen Winter, M.D.Program Director, Western Connecticut Health Network at Norwalk Hospital34 Maple StreetNorwalk, CT 06856(203) 852-2392Stephen .Winter@wchn .org Leah Moody, M.P.H.Program Coordinator, Western Connecticut Health Network6-South, Danbury Hospital24 Hospital AveDanbury, CT 06810(203) 739-4932Leah .Moody@wchn .org

Global Health Office at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont

Majid Sadigh, M.D.Program Director at Western Connecticut Health Network/University of Vermont89 Beaumont AvenueGiven Courtyard N-100Burlington, VT 05405(203) 739-7057Majid .Sadigh@wchn .org Mariah McNamara, M.D.Associate Program Director, University of Vermont89 Beaumont AvenueGiven Courtyard N-100Burlington, VT 05405(617) 921- 0739Mariah .Mcnamara1@uvmhealth .org Audree FreyProgram Coordinator, University of Vermont89 Beaumont AvenueGiven Courtyard N-100Burlington, VT 05405(802) 656-8378Audree .Frey@med .uvm .edu

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Produced by:The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of VermontCreative Direction: Ann Howard, Erin PostEditorial Direction: Mitra SadighContent Production: Leah Moody, M.P.H., Swapnil Parve, M.D.

Documents

GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT